WASHINGTON- After reports released earlier this week revealed that, despite earlier outrage on the issue, continued medical procedure failures at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Augusta, Georgia may have exposed veterans to infectious diseases, Congressman Henry E. Brown (R-SC), Ranking Republican of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, made the following statement:

“The goal of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is ‘to provide excellence in patient care, veterans’ benefits and customer satisfaction.’ The documented failure to follow standard guidelines related to sterilization of equipment and the glaring absence of training related to such practices, as stated in the VA’s Office of Inspector General (IG) report, does not reflect a practice in support of this goal.

The IG’s findings, presented this week to the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, expose a disregard for basic hygienic practices related to patient care. Such callous actions are inexcusable and cannot be tolerated.

As the Ranking Republican of the VA Subcommittee on Health, I will exercise all available options to ensure that our veterans do not face future exposure to life-threatening risks at the facilities to which they come for health care services.”